During the past 5 years and with initial funding from the National Heart Lung Blood Institute (NHLBI), the Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (JLC-BBRI) at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has collaborated with Duke University Medical Center (DUMC), Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM), and North Carolina State University (NCSU) to develop an effective and sustainable cardiovascular disease research program. Dr. Richard Bukoski joined the JLC-BBRI as Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Research Program and Professor of Biology in 1999. Since that time, he worked in close collaboration to plan and develop an interinstitutional, collaborative, interdisciplinary cardiovascular disease research program that focuses on African American health disparities. The goals have been to: support research in cardiovascular science;provide laboratory training experiences for selected undergraduate and graduate students;forge collaborative research and education arrangements with the academic community;attract other biomedical science faculty to NCCU;strengthen the science curriculum;and arrange for science seminars and collaborative exchange activities. Therefore, the aims of this proposal are designed to sustain and continue to grow and develop the JLC-BBRI Cardiovascular Disease Research Program. With input from the Joint Planning Committee the Program has identified three Specific Aims that support its overall goals: Specific Aim 1 is to support and promote ongoing projects/programs initiated by members of the NCCU Cardiovascular Disease Research Team. Specific Aim 2 is designed to establish a formal career development program aimed at increasing the number of minority scientists conducting research on cardiovascular physiology and disease. Specific Aim 3 will be to expand the JLC-BBRI's Education and Training Program to provide academic year and summer research experiences for NCCU students.